By Mark H. Stowers
The perennial powerhouse MACCC Northwest Rangers (4-2 overall, 2-1 MACCC) who traveled to Moorhead nationally ranked at #15 came away with a hard-fought, 31-13 win Thursday night. The Trojans fall to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in MACCC. The Rangers got on the scoreboard first as they took the opening kickoff and put together a five-play, 71-yard drive that only took 1:51. The scoring drive was completed with a 26-yard TD run by Xavier Davis and the PAT gave the Rangers the 7-0 lead.
The Trojans answered on their first possession of the game – a 12-play, 78-yard TD drive that took 6:17 off the first quarter clock. Freshman quarterback Troy Griffin hit sophomore running back Emory James for a five-yard TD catch and sophomore Davon Klein's PAT tied the game at 7-7 with 6:38 left in the first quarter.
Returning the ensuing kickoff 27 yards, the Rangers set up first and 10 at the NWCC 38-yard line. NWCC took only three plays to find the end zone covering the 62 yards in only 1:47. The big play came on a 48-yard TD pass. The PAT gave the Rangers a 14-7 lead with 4:42 left in the first quarter.
Mississippi Delta threatened again on their next drive starting at their own 25 after the touchback kick. Nine plays and 63 yards later, the Rangers held their ground at their own 12-yard line and forced the Trojans to attempt a field goal at the 12-yard line on a fourth and four. The 29-yard effort was wide left leaving the Trojans down, 14-7.
The Trojan defense stood tall on the Rangers' next drive of nine plays and 30 yards that ended with a turnover on downs when NWCC went for it on a 4th-and-10 at their own 41. Shade Foster rushed for only nine of the ten yards and the Trojans took over at midfield. Griffin then marched the Trojans down the field nine plays, covering the needed 50 yards, taking 6:03 off the clock. The scoring play was a freshman Davion Alston seven-yard TD catch from Griffin. Klein's PAT was rushed and failed wide right leaving the Trojans down one, 14-13 with 8:57 before halftime.
NWCC answered with a scoring drive of nine plays, covering 78 yards from their own 22-yard line. A face mask penalty on a 17-yard pass play quickly moved the Rangers down the field. A 22-yard rush put the Rangers on the MDCC 23-yard line and six plays later, they were in the end zone as Xavier Davis ran it in from the one. The PAT put NWCC up 21-13 with 4:45 left in the first half.
MDCC could only muster 13 yards and five plays before Klein's 16-yard punt gave NWCC the ball at their own 36. Neither team could score the rest of the half trading punts before NWCC ran out the first half clock.
In the second half, the Trojans received the kickoff but managed one yard in three plays and punted and NWCC took over at their own 46. The Rangers would then run eight plays, covering 49 yards but the Trojan defense forced them to kick a field goal at the MDCC five yard line. The 22-yard field goal extended NWCC's lead to 24-13.
The Trojans were again three and out on their next drive and punted giving NWCC the ball at their own 49. Northwest was held to a three and out as well punting back to the Trojans where they took over at their own 16. After a one-yard rush, Griffin attempted a pass that was intercepted by Keshawn Davila at the MDCC 25 for a pick-six. The PAT was good and NWCC's lead was now 31-13.
Neither team could crack the scoreboard for the rest of the game and NWCC took the win, 31-13. Griffin had another interception and NWCC missed two field goals.
Overall, the Trojans had 14 first downs to NWCC's 17. MDCC converted 8-of-18 third downs for 44 percent and missed both fourth-down conversion attempts. The Trojans had 220 yards of offense – 143 passing and 77 rushing. NWCC had 298 total yards – 121 passing and 177 rushing.
Griffin was 11-of-30 for 143 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Alston led the Trojan rushers with 41 yards on 16 carries while Griffin had 37 yards on 13 attempts. Sophomore Sirr Trotter led the Trojan receivers with six catches for 73 yards. Sophomore tight end Decamby Willis had one catch for 49 yards.
Defensively, freshman Vamario McGee led the Trojans with eight total tackles – four solo and four assists. Freshman Johnathan Nicholson had seven total – six solo and one assist. Freshman Kennedy Baker, and sophomores Jacoby Franklin and Aaron Robinson each had five total tackles.
MDCC Head Coach Tavares Johnson Sr. keeps seeing improvement in his team but not enough to garner the win. The improvement is also opening the eyes of the competition.
"After the game, Northwest's Head Coach came to me after the game and said the same thing. Schematically, we're there and I thought we probably played one of the best half of football as a team. But we always find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot," Coach Johnson said. "We're one or two plays and players from turning the corner."
He noted the Trojans missed opportunity on a pick-six and not giving up one in the beginning of the second half would have kept momentum on the MDCC side of the field.
"That's the difference in the ballgame. They capitalized on our turnovers and we dropped ours," he said. "Things like that can swing a game back and forth but I think we gave Northwest all they could handle. We just have to find a way to step up and raise our program to the next level where we want it. I'm sure Northwest didn't expect that out of us last night. Week in and week out, you have to bring your A game," Coach Johnson said.
In regard to Griffin's play at quarterback, the Head Trojan knows the freshman needs help from all of his teammates.
"His teammates need to support him. Receivers have to step up and support him. We have way too many drops," he said. "But with our ability to run – some – we have to fix some things up front."
Looking around the MACCC, #9 nationally ranked Northeast (5-1 overall) and #10 nationally ranked East (4-2 overall) are tied for first in the North with 3-0 conference records. Northwest sits at third place with a 2-1 MACCC and 4-2 overall record.
In the south division, #7 nationally ranked Jones College sits atop the standing with a 4-0 conference record and 5-1 overall mark. Hinds sits in second place with a 3-1 conference and 3-3 overall record. Co-Lin and #4 nationally ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast are tied for third with 2-1 conference and 5-1 overall records.